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Showing posts from 2012

What I Need to do Today Is ...

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This past Thanksgiving day I had the opportunity to participate in the Brazil YMCA Turkey Trot 5k run.  Couple weeks back Nick and Tracy Sarris mentioned their whole family was going to run so I became an honorary member for the day and joined in.  Come Thanksgiving morning after a warm up with Nick we got in line and ready to start.  Five members of the Sarris family, me and about 170 others took off at the start. About a ½ mile in a was pretty far back in maybe 30 place and thinking I was starting a little too slow, but by mile 1 I was probably in the top 10.  First one went by in 6:40, and felt pretty relaxed.  Passed a couple more by mile two and heard 13:20 called out as I went by.  Made two miles go by at 6:40 even pace so not so bad.  Last mile I tried to catch the lead girl in front of me, but she picked it up and I ran in on my own finishing in 20:49 (7 th overall).  I think that averages out to 6:41 pace so pretty even splits. Probably the most fun on the day was r

Magnificence of a Deer

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My son Jacob is the hunter/fisherman of the family and last week got his second deer of the season in the woods behind my brother in-laws home.  I went over with my friend Ron to help him load it up in the truck.  Just taking a look at it before we picked it up reminds me that no matter if you like to hunt them like Jacob or just watch them from a far like myself, deer at true magnificent creatures.    Last summer I was riding the bike home from work when I watched two of them head across a field and straight at me.  They were running full speed and passed me so close I think I could have reached across the handlebars and touched them.  Sort of in awe at the power and grace as they flew passed thankful that they didn't take me out.  While deer may seem like a fairly uncomplicated creature, they like all living creatures are anything but that.  Watching the process of field dressing the animal the complexity of them become all the more readily apparent.  Something hunters

Endeavor to Adventure, Rev3 Venice

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Last spring when Rev3 announced the season ending race in Venice Florida at the end of October, I planned to enter. Same location as our family get together in October the last two years. Sisters and brother said they would come and the race was on. Arrived just in time for the far edge of hurricane Sandy to stir up some serious waves. Day one at Venice I hit the beach for a practice swim in the angry ocean. Had a great talk with lifeguard Jamie Who gave me some good advice before venturing the waves. Try as I might I couldn't swim north into the current for anything. Had a good feeling the swim would get canceled with the crazy wind, waves and currents. No way to swim a straight line. Two days later on race morning with the wind still whipping 20 to 30 mph the swim did get canceled, so just the 56 mile bike and 13 mile run. Cake walk right :) Started in number order one every 3 seconds, basically by age so I got to meet all the other 50-54 guys. Nice bunch for sure. Got to r

Glow Run 5K

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Last night the ISU campus sponsored a “Glow Run 5k” that benefited Habitat for Humanity so I joined in.  Needed to do a speed workout this week anyway so I just thought I would make that it.  My plan was to treat it like a typical workout so I got in a good swim at lunch and just did my normal thing like any other day.  Good and bad, but I had a meeting after work that included a really nice dinner so I participate in that to (nothing like a speed workout on a full stomach).  Probably finished dinner around 6 PM, made it home to change clothes and back on campus at 6:45 PM to register for the race.  Thankfully it didn't start till 7:30 so I had a bit of time.  My plan was to start easy, run the middle section full speed and then coast it in to the finish as a cool down.  The start went pretty much like that, and after the first ½ mile I was going race pace (makes it fun to pass people that way).  The whole glow run theme was kind of fun running at night.  Only downside is you

Return to Lake Lemon Tri

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Last weekend was the return to Lake Lemon to yet once again face a very tough sprint triathlon course.   Made this trip with my friend Greg Lucas to set the swim course and transition area on Friday, then race the course on Saturday.   After the setup was finished on Friday afternoon we headed into Bloomington to the hotel and packet pickup.   Talked briefly with Scott Jerden, along with his dad William was there to pick up their packets.   Scott is a former winner of the race, so I had a feeling he would repeat the next day.    A bit later in the evening my friend Scott also can down and joined us for dinner. Race morning we loaded up and got to Lake Lemon well in advance of the race.   Found a bike rack near the top of transition and looked for a reasonable warm place to hang-out till the race start.   Water temp was 64 and air temp around 50 so a bit on the cool side.   Race time we were called to the start in 3 waves, and at 9:02 began the half mile swim.   Surprisingl

Rev3 Wisconsin Dells Olympic Distance Triathlon

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Raced the new Rev3 Wisconsin Dells triathlon this past weekend, and had a blast doing it.   We arrived a couple of days early to get in a practice swim and the bike check-in well in advance.   Sherrie and Jacob came along to make a long weekend/short vacation out of the trip.   We were able to book the Tamarack Resort for 3 nights so we had a full size two bedroom condo to stay in.   Pretty sweet deal with tennis courts, indoor pool and the like.   Race site was at the Tommy Bartlet Ski Show just about 3 miles away.   Got to check-out the venue Friday night when we had dinner at the Ravina Bay restaurant just across the lake.   Nice side benefit you get to see part of the ski show while having dinner on the deck.   Saturday was an easy day with the practice swim and bike check-in in the morning.   They still needed some extra volunteers so Sherrie and Jacob signed up to work the finish line.   Jacob got in some back to school shopping later in the day.   Added in some tennis an

Coco-Cola Dreaming

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I’m training for a ½ Ironman race in Venice Florida October 28th so my weekends for the next few months will be very predictable.   Long ride on Saturday, long run on Sunday, repeat until a couple weeks before the race.   There you have it.   This past Saturday I didn’t get out for the ride till later in the day and headed generally north.   Figured I would just head 22.5 miles where ever I felt like it, turn around and head home.   Had two large water bottles on the bike and figured I could make it on just that.   Turns out that was a bad idea.   I ended up riding through the small town of Mecca which I don’t normally ride to.   They have a monster hill just on the other side of town that knocked my energy level down a full notch.   Soon that road meets back up with highway 41.   Though about turning around there, but noticed a road I‘ve never ridden before heading south toward home (325W specifically).   So what the heck I headed down it.   About 3 miles down the road it turned

Alpha Male on the Trail

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Yesterday morning while I was riding into work I was just about to turn on the Heritage Trail I noticed another rider whom I have had some past history with.   Maybe two years previous riding down the trail to work I happened to pass him just cruising along when he apparently considered it either an insult or a challenge and he made the effort to pick up his pace and pass me back.   Found that a bit humorous, but no big deal I just let him do it.   Turned out to be a mistake, just as he got to the end of the trail thinking he was way in front of me he proceeded to do a slow U-turn and head back.   Just riding my own pace I was right behind him and except for a last second effort to throw the bike hard left I would have T-boned him.   Considering his past history of trying to play Alpha Male I figured he would do the exact same tactic.   With that in mind I decided to pass him quickly and just hold a hard pace for the 3 miles or so to the end of the trail.   Of course Alpha Ma